Mac Mini should go SSD like MacBook Air

[zombierunner]

I think Apple should make Mac Mini an all SSD device like the Airs ... that way they don't need the top of the line processors ... the SSD will compensate for a medium level processor ... also with thunderbolt hard drives coming out this year ... there is no need to have a lot of storage on the mini itself .. you could have maybe 128gb as standard and if someone needs more space just get an external hard drive ...

a medium level processor with regular HDD sucks .. but with SSD it ain't that bad.

what do you guys think?

 

[Cheffy Dave]

I think as SSD $'s come down, hard drives will be obsolete, and all laptops will be as thin as the MBA. I am totally smitten with the MBA form factor, and we own 3 MBA's in the 11" size, all with OWC 360 SSD's in them

 

[Wicked1]

I think as SSD $'s come down, hard drives will be obsolete, and all laptops will be as thin as the MBA. I am totally smitten with the MBA form factor, and we own 3 MBA's in the 11" size, all with OWC 360 SSD's in them

How is that possible, the 11" MBA has SSD drive soldered on the LB? One of the reasons I am not going MBA is I need more than 256GB of storage, otherwise it would be a no brainer, I just do not want to carry around an external USB drive to carry my data. Waiting to see what Summer of 2011 brings with MBA and Mini

 

[Hellhammer]

How is that possible, the 11" MBA has SSD drive soldered on the LB? One of the reasons I am not going MBA is I need more than 256GB of storage, otherwise it would be a no brainer, I just do not want to carry around an external USB drive to carry my data. Waiting to see what Summer of 2011 brings with MBA and Mini

The SSD is not soldered onto the logic board. It is held by one screw, which makes it very easily upgradeable. OWC sells up to 480GB SSDs for 2010 MBA, though the 480GB version sets you back by 1500$.

 

[Lankyman]

I think Apple should make Mac Mini an all SSD device like the Airs ... that way they don't need the top of the line processors ... the SSD will compensate for a medium level processor ... also with thunderbolt hard drives coming out this year ... there is no need to have a lot of storage on the mini itself .. you could have maybe 128gb as standard and if someone needs more space just get an external hard drive ...

a medium level processor with regular HDD sucks .. but with SSD it ain't that bad.

what do you guys think?

Nice dream but wait for your alarm to go off as Apple don't appear to be doing anything as regards upgrading the Mini this time around. If you look back at all the rumours regarding the MBP and the iMac they were pretty accurate. What rumours have there been regarding the Mini? zilch, a big fat nothing.

 

[eMagine]

I have a SSD as the boot drive on my Mac Mini Server. Highly recommended install.

 

[talmy]

With my minis, two used as entertainment centers and a third is a server, SSDs would not offer improved performance but would just add to the cost. Reason being that booting and program launching are rare occurrences on any of them and the server is in more desperate need of capacity rather than speed.

I want to see a mini that's been downscaled back to the original $499 price point, or lower.

 

[Westyfield2]

I'd like an SSD Mini, but I'd prefer it to use normal 2.5" drives than the blades in the MBA (for upgrade-ability). That said, if using the blades created space for a discrete graphics chip I wouldn't mind...

 

[thogin]

I've compared the MBA to a 13" base model MBP side by side in the store. An SSD does NOT make up for a slower processor, IMO. What I'd love to see is Apple make the hard drive in the Mini user-replaceable. The price of SSDs will continue to plummet. I'd rather Apple put a faster processor in the mini than a slower one + SSD.

 

[Wicked1]

The SSD is not soldered onto the logic board. It is held by one screw, which makes it very easily upgradeable. OWC sells up to 480GB SSDs for 2010 MBA, though the 480GB version sets you back by 1500$.

I thought the new 11" Air was just like the 13" where the RAM and SSD are part of the LB? now I am confused.

I know the 2009 and older MBA had a 1.8" drive, but I always thought all the new ones are soldered or part of the LB?

 

[Hellhammer]

I thought the new 11" Air was just like the 13" where the RAM and SSD are part of the LB? now I am confused.

I know the 2009 and older MBA had a 1.8" drive, but I always thought all the new ones are soldered or part of the LB?

Nope.

http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/macbook_air_11_2010_ssd_h/

As you can see, the SSD is on a separate board, thus making it upgradeable.

 

[lvlarkkoenen]

SSD's? Not for me. I like to use my Mini as a general purpose PC. For music, video, mild gaming. A slower processor as OP proposes would hurt the latter, and I don't want to get an external harddrive for music and video storage.

 

[McRCN]

I don't see it as all or nothing. Apple could gives us a choice of the SSD or HD. I want one to use as a music server, so a small SSD and an external HD is perfect for me.

 

[Tilpots]

With my minis, two used as entertainment centers and a third is a server, SSDs would not offer improved performance but would just add to the cost. Reason being that booting and program launching are rare occurrences on any of them and the server is in more desperate need of capacity rather than speed.

I want to see a mini that's been downscaled back to the original $499 price point, or lower.

Thought about going SSD for my HTPC mini, but just couldn't justify the cost vs. performance issue. The Mini's geared at a different audience, too. It's the lowest of the low end. If you're buying a Mini and really could benefit from an SSD, most likely you could install it yourself.

 

[Lankyman]

The Mini's geared at a different audience, too. It's the lowest of the low end.

I grant you that is Apple's intended market for the Mini but I happen to think (he says arrogantly ) that Apple has missed a trick here and has got it somewhat wrong.

Not everyone, and I include myself here wants a shiny mirror for a monitor or a HD that I can't swap out myself or an AIO where you have to ditch a perfectly good monitor because the innards have had it. I want to be able to have a monitor of my own choosing not the measly 21.5" I have at present (iMac) or the gargantuan 27" (iMac). Why Apple can't see that and simply provided a reasonably specified Mini with decent RAM and storage as standard is beyond me.

 

[zombierunner]

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I agree with the above poster .. They should just make a "normal" CPU tower
Bigger than mac mini ... Smaller than mac pro both in size and specs ... You get me ? ... And make apple monitors ... Sell them in various siZes ... 21 24 27 etc ...

 

[Jef88]

It would be nice if it's optional. For now it looks like it will only drive the price of the new mini up.

I already have a 1TB external drive and 1TB SSD is still unfair expensive. But It would be nice if the internal was a 1TB SSD. In that case I can hold the most used data close to me. And connect the external HDD when needed. They still need an USB/TB port and with only 4 USB ports and one expected TB port it's possible I will be short of them.

 

[philipma1957]

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I agree with the above poster .. They should just make a "normal" CPU tower
Bigger than mac mini ... Smaller than mac pro both in size and specs ... You get me ? ... And make apple monitors ... Sell them in various siZes ... 21 24 27 etc ...

While I agree with you. Unless Apple was to have a huge upswelling against them. Basically a boycott " no cube no mac".
or " no Maxmini no Mac"

It is not going to happen. Lets face it boycotting a company like apple is not going to happen. People will make do.

One thing I have to say is I have not used windows since windows 95. I now have an ASUS 1215b with windows 7. Not bad windows 7 is close to snow leopard.
So apple pushed me back to windows after more then 12 years of not using it. Basically over the mac mini not getting a good upgrade in 2010 and now waiting for the 2011 upgrade.

 

[Bear]

I think Apple should make Mac Mini an all SSD device like the Airs ... that way they don't need the top of the line processors ... the SSD will compensate for a medium level processor ... also with thunderbolt hard drives coming out this year ... there is no need to have a lot of storage on the mini itself .. you could have maybe 128gb as standard and if someone needs more space just get an external hard drive ...

a medium level processor with regular HDD sucks .. but with SSD it ain't that bad.

what do you guys think?

How does the SSD compensate for a medium level processor? True that it will spend less time idle, but depending on what you are using the system for, it might not be a very noticeable difference at all.

On the other side of the coin, the fact that SSD would make a Mini even quieter would be good for several applications. ALso, anything that reduces electricity and heat usage is good.

Going to an external disk if the space inside the Mini isn't enough actually takes away most if not all of the advantages of having SSD inside the Mini.

Make an option for SSD + spinning disk would be good compromise. However, SSD prices need to come down before it could be offered in a base Mini.

 

[Undo Redo]

SSDs are overrated in my opinion. Sure, the computer boots and loads applications quickly. So what?

Since the mini is a primary computer for many people, running programs that need some power, better processors are preferable to fast storage.

 

[theSeb]

SSDs are overrated in my opinion. Sure, the computer boots and loads applications quickly. So what?

Since the mini is a primary computer for many people, running programs that need some power, better processors are preferable to fast storage.

An SSD provides improvements to your performance in other ways as well, not just the two you've mentioned. I disagree with your opinion and so do the benchmarks.

 

[Tilpots]

Why Apple can't see that and simply provided a reasonably specified Mini with decent RAM and storage as standard is beyond me.

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I agree with the above poster .. They should just make a "normal" CPU tower
Bigger than mac mini ... Smaller than mac pro both in size and specs ... You get me ? ... And make apple monitors ... Sell them in various siZes ... 21 24 27 etc ...

You are both seeking the mythical xMac, as Philip noted. You join a long line (myself included) of vocal Apple fans seeking the sweet spot between the Mini and the Pro. We wait in vain, but luckily the Mini can be modded fairly easily in terms of Drives and RAM.

 

[xlii]

Nice dream but wait for your alarm to go off as Apple don't appear to be doing anything as regards upgrading the Mini this time around. If you look back at all the rumours regarding the MBP and the iMac they were pretty accurate. What rumours have there been regarding the Mini? zilch, a big fat nothing.

Waiting on the mini and the macBook. Apple will update them both... it just a question of when. I expect within the next 30 days.

The mini is equal to the 13" macbook pro spec wise. I don't expect that to change.

 

[LarryC]

Nice dream but wait for your alarm to go off as Apple don't appear to be doing anything as regards upgrading the Mini this time around. If you look back at all the rumours regarding the MBP and the iMac they were pretty accurate. What rumours have there been regarding the Mini? zilch, a big fat nothing.

You are right, it seems the same for the MacBook I guess this is why they changed the name of the company away from Apple Computer.

 

[Undo Redo]

An SSD provides improvements to your performance in other ways as well, not just the two you've mentioned. I disagree with your opinion and so do the benchmarks.

Sure, there are other benefits. But benchmarks don't tell the whole story. Many applications require processing power, so suggesting a SSD will compensate for a weak processor is silly.

Building the Mac mini like a MacBook Air would be a bad idea (IMO).